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Dev Harmer Mission #1
World of Fire
Dev Harmer wakes in a new body with every mission, and he has woken this time on Alighieri, a planet perpetually in flames, where the world's wealth lies below the elemental surface, and humanity is not the only race after it.
Dev Harmer, reluctant agent of Interstellar Security Solutions, wakes up in a newly cloned host body on the planet Alighieri, ready for action.
It’s an infernal world, so close to its sun that it surface is regularly baked to 1,000°C, hot enough to turn rock to lava. But deep underground there are networks of tunnels connecting colonies of miners who dig for the precious helium-3 regolith deposits in Alighieri’s crust.
Polis+, the AI race who are humankind’s great galactic rivals, want to claim the fiery planet’s mineral wealth for their own. All that stands between them and this goal is Dev. But as well as Polis+’s agents, there are giant moleworms to contend with, and a spate of mysterious earthquakes, and the perils of the surface where a man can be burned to cinders if he gets caught unprotected on the day side...
Dev Harmer, reluctant agent of Interstellar Security Solutions, wakes up in a newly cloned host body on the planet Alighieri, ready for action.
It’s an infernal world, so close to its sun that it surface is regularly baked to 1,000°C, hot enough to turn rock to lava. But deep underground there are networks of tunnels connecting colonies of miners who dig for the precious helium-3 regolith deposits in Alighieri’s crust.
Polis+, the AI race who are humankind’s great galactic rivals, want to claim the fiery planet’s mineral wealth for their own. All that stands between them and this goal is Dev. But as well as Polis+’s agents, there are giant moleworms to contend with, and a spate of mysterious earthquakes, and the perils of the surface where a man can be burned to cinders if he gets caught unprotected on the day side...
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 26, 2014
3 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
James Lovegrove
152 books658 followersJames Lovegrove is the author of several acclaimed novels and books for children.
James was born on Christmas Eve 1965 and, having dabbled in writing at school, first took to it seriously while at university. A short story of his won a college competition. The prize was £15, and it had cost £18 to get the story professionally typed. This taught him a hard but necessary lesson in the harsh economic realities of a literary career.
Straight after graduating from Oxford with a degree in English Literature, James set himself the goal of getting a novel written and sold within two years. In the event, it took two months. The Hope was completed in six weeks and accepted by Macmillan a fortnight later. The seed for the idea for the novel — a world in microcosm on an ocean liner — was planted during a cross-Channel ferry journey.
James blew his modest advance for The Hope on a round-the-world trip which took him to, among other places, Thailand. His experiences there, particularly what he witnessed of the sex industry in Bangkok, provided much of the inspiration for The Foreigners.
Escardy Gap was co-written with Pete Crowther over a period of a year and a half, the two authors playing a game of creative tag, each completing a section in turn and leaving the other to carry the story on. The result has proved a cult favourite, and was voted by readers of SFX one of the top fifty SF/Fantasy novels of all time.
Days, a satire on consumerism, was shortlisted for the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award (losing to Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow). The book’s genesis most probably lies in the many visits James used to make as a child to the Oxford Street department store owned by his grandfather. It was written over a period of nine months while James was living in the north-west suburbs of Chicago.
Subsequent works have all been published to great acclaim. These include Untied Kingdom, Worldstorm, Provender Gleed, The Age Of Ra and the back-to-back double-novella Gig. James has also written for children. Wings, a short novel for reluctant readers, was short-listed for several awards, while his fantasy series for teens, The Clouded World, written under the pseudonym Jay Amory, has been translated into 7 other languages so far. A five-book series for reluctant readers, The 5 Lords Of Pain, is appearing at two-monthly intervals throughout 2010.
He also reviews fiction for the Financial Times, specialising in the Young Adult, children’s, science fiction, fantasy, horror and graphic novel genres.
Currently James resides in Eastbourne on the Sussex Coast, having moved there in August 2007 with his wife Lou, sons Monty and Theo, and cat Ozzy. He has a terrific view of the sea from his study window, which he doesn’t sit staring out at all day when he should be working. Honest.
James was born on Christmas Eve 1965 and, having dabbled in writing at school, first took to it seriously while at university. A short story of his won a college competition. The prize was £15, and it had cost £18 to get the story professionally typed. This taught him a hard but necessary lesson in the harsh economic realities of a literary career.
Straight after graduating from Oxford with a degree in English Literature, James set himself the goal of getting a novel written and sold within two years. In the event, it took two months. The Hope was completed in six weeks and accepted by Macmillan a fortnight later. The seed for the idea for the novel — a world in microcosm on an ocean liner — was planted during a cross-Channel ferry journey.
James blew his modest advance for The Hope on a round-the-world trip which took him to, among other places, Thailand. His experiences there, particularly what he witnessed of the sex industry in Bangkok, provided much of the inspiration for The Foreigners.
Escardy Gap was co-written with Pete Crowther over a period of a year and a half, the two authors playing a game of creative tag, each completing a section in turn and leaving the other to carry the story on. The result has proved a cult favourite, and was voted by readers of SFX one of the top fifty SF/Fantasy novels of all time.
Days, a satire on consumerism, was shortlisted for the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award (losing to Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow). The book’s genesis most probably lies in the many visits James used to make as a child to the Oxford Street department store owned by his grandfather. It was written over a period of nine months while James was living in the north-west suburbs of Chicago.
Subsequent works have all been published to great acclaim. These include Untied Kingdom, Worldstorm, Provender Gleed, The Age Of Ra and the back-to-back double-novella Gig. James has also written for children. Wings, a short novel for reluctant readers, was short-listed for several awards, while his fantasy series for teens, The Clouded World, written under the pseudonym Jay Amory, has been translated into 7 other languages so far. A five-book series for reluctant readers, The 5 Lords Of Pain, is appearing at two-monthly intervals throughout 2010.
He also reviews fiction for the Financial Times, specialising in the Young Adult, children’s, science fiction, fantasy, horror and graphic novel genres.
Currently James resides in Eastbourne on the Sussex Coast, having moved there in August 2007 with his wife Lou, sons Monty and Theo, and cat Ozzy. He has a terrific view of the sea from his study window, which he doesn’t sit staring out at all day when he should be working. Honest.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 19, 2016
Un roman enlevé par forcément original dans ses concepts mais suffisamment bien tourné pour passer un bon moment d'évasion Mon imagination m'a rendu les Moleworms et autres Sroaches particulièrement affreux Son héros enquêteur à l'humour très british m'a évoqué Del Spooner de I Robot (le film) même si trop d'humour gâche un peu la tension de certaines scènes qui auraient été plus réelles à mes yeux sans jeux de mots ...
Je lirai avec plaisir la suite annoncée des aventures de Dev Harmer pour un moment de détente sans prise de tête
Je lirai avec plaisir la suite annoncée des aventures de Dev Harmer pour un moment de détente sans prise de tête
June 26, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Dev Harmer wakes in a new body with every mission, and he has woken this time on Alighieri, a planet perpetually in flames, where the world's wealth lies below the elemental surface, and humanity is not the only race after it.
Dev Harmer, reluctant agent of Interstellar Security Solutions, wakes up in a newly cloned host body on the planet Alighieri, ready for action.
It’s an infernal world, so close to its sun that it surface is regularly baked to 1,000°C, hot enough to turn rock to lava. But deep underground there are networks of tunnels connecting colonies of miners who dig for the precious helium-3 regolith deposits in Alighieri’s crust.
Polis+, the AI race who are humankind’s great galactic rivals, want to claim the fiery planet’s mineral wealth for their own. All that stands between them and this goal is Dev. But as well as Polis+’s agents, there are giant moleworms to contend with, and a spate of mysterious earthquakes, and the perils of the surface where a man can be burned to cinders if he gets caught unprotected on the day side...
Let me start by saying that I can see why this has received a number of 4-5 stars. I see good writing and characters...but the plot and its concepts did my head in and I had to DNF...
Paul
ARH
Dev Harmer wakes in a new body with every mission, and he has woken this time on Alighieri, a planet perpetually in flames, where the world's wealth lies below the elemental surface, and humanity is not the only race after it.
Dev Harmer, reluctant agent of Interstellar Security Solutions, wakes up in a newly cloned host body on the planet Alighieri, ready for action.
It’s an infernal world, so close to its sun that it surface is regularly baked to 1,000°C, hot enough to turn rock to lava. But deep underground there are networks of tunnels connecting colonies of miners who dig for the precious helium-3 regolith deposits in Alighieri’s crust.
Polis+, the AI race who are humankind’s great galactic rivals, want to claim the fiery planet’s mineral wealth for their own. All that stands between them and this goal is Dev. But as well as Polis+’s agents, there are giant moleworms to contend with, and a spate of mysterious earthquakes, and the perils of the surface where a man can be burned to cinders if he gets caught unprotected on the day side...
Let me start by saying that I can see why this has received a number of 4-5 stars. I see good writing and characters...but the plot and its concepts did my head in and I had to DNF...
Paul
ARH
August 17, 2016
Bookworm Speaks!
World of Fire (Dev Harmer Mission)
by James Lovegrove
Acquired: Amazon.com
Series: Dev Harmer Mission
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Solaris (August 26, 2014)
Language: English
****
The Story: A brand new SF series from the author of the Pantheon series. Dev Harmer wakes in a new body with every mission, and he has woken this time on Alighieri, a planet perpetually in flames, where the world's wealth lies below the elemental surface, and humanity is not the only race after it.
Dev Harmer, reluctant agent of Interstellar Security Solutions, wakes up in a newly cloned host body on the planet Alighieri, ready for action.
It’s an infernal world, so close to its sun that it surface is regularly baked to 1,000°C, hot enough to turn rock to lava. But deep underground there are networks of tunnels connecting colonies of miners who dig for the precious helium-3 regolith deposits in Alighieri’s crust.
Polis+, the AI race who are humankind’s great galactic rivals, want to claim the fiery planet’s mineral wealth for their own. All that stands between them and this goal is Dev. But as well as Polis+’s agents, there are giant moleworms to contend with, and a spate of mysterious earthquakes, and the perils of the surface where a man can be burned to cinders if he gets caught unprotected on the day side…
The Review: An Interstellar Detective Mystery and an alien fighting an enemy that could be anywhere or anyone.
Let’s start off with the best part of the whole book: The main character is dispatched on missions where he wakes up in cloned bodies. While cloning and mind-transference is nothing new in science fiction, the author combines and cultivates those two concepts and creates something unique.
When Dev is dispatched to a new planet, his consciousness is downloaded into a new body and not just any body, one that is custom designed for the particular environment. In the planet Alighieri’s case, it is a short, squat, thick skinned man, one suited for the heat and high gravity and heat of such a world. That is an idea that seems obvious yet Bookworm has not really encountered before. Usually, its just a straight up clone of the original.
Dev Harmer’s original body (supposedly) no longer exists and if he completes enough missions, he will get a fresh clone body, this time of his original self, permanently.
This adds an existential angle to an otherwise science fiction update of Sam Spade, while not entirely original, is still interesting to contemplate. Dev wonders if he is really still human, when he really is a bunch of ones and zeroes hitching a ride on an interstellar transmission.
Dev Harmer himself is a good character as well. He may not be the most nuanced character in the literary world but he does not need to be. He is tough, sarcastic, able to give and take punches, and inexplicably becomes attached to the female lead. More importantly, he is thoughtful. He thinks things out before acting and has to use his wits and words to get out of tough scrapes.
Some have already made the argument that Dev seems to stumble into his clues and leads but lets be honest: that’s the case with almost every fictional representation of investigative endeavors. CSI, NCIS, World of Fire, if any of those were accurate portrayals, the book would be as long as Game of Thrones.
What is also worthy of mentioning is the setting. A common trope of space opera that might bug some people is how a supposedly alien planet seems to be a perfect fit for humans or whatever species deems to live there. The only difference seemingly the color of the grass. There is nothing particularly wrong with that. It harkens back to the tales of seafarers and the islands they visited while traversing the ocean. It is not, however, indubitable scientific. In this novel though, we are treated to something far more realistic. The planet Alighieri is like Mercury, the surface is uninhabitable so humanity is forced to live underground. This a very realistic prospect for interplanetary colonization, even for as close as Earth’s Moon.
The thermals are not as intense in a few parts of the book though. The hottest of them is the series’ antagonists, the Polis Plus. The author deserves some credit for making the tried and true machine enemy and making them religiously motivated. That goes along with a theme in this book: taking used concepts an adding a unique twist to them. Be that as it may…Bookworm has trouble ‘getting’ the Polis Plus. We could have a big monologue artificial intelligence and the nature of desire but that’s better saved for later. The best of way saying it: is that it is hard to understand the Polis Plus motivations. Yes, they need energy as much as humanity does and they would compete over it but everything else about them, particularly the religious part and the nature of the war. Perhaps that is intent: the Polis Plus are mysterious and its up to Dev Harmer to stop them not understand them.
Then again…it may simply be a case of reading too much into it. This is an uncomplicated book, not simple, uncomplicated. Its a mystery on another planet where the Polis Plus are the bad guys. The philosophical angles may simply be added for a little bit of flavor.
Final Verdict: World of Fire is a flaming start to a hot new series, that Bookworm is eager to continue. The fact that each book in the series is going to be based on a classical element makes only more irresistible in Bookworm’s eyes.
Four Helium-Threes out of Five.
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
World of Fire (Dev Harmer Mission)
by James Lovegrove
Acquired: Amazon.com
Series: Dev Harmer Mission
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Solaris (August 26, 2014)
Language: English
****
The Story: A brand new SF series from the author of the Pantheon series. Dev Harmer wakes in a new body with every mission, and he has woken this time on Alighieri, a planet perpetually in flames, where the world's wealth lies below the elemental surface, and humanity is not the only race after it.
Dev Harmer, reluctant agent of Interstellar Security Solutions, wakes up in a newly cloned host body on the planet Alighieri, ready for action.
It’s an infernal world, so close to its sun that it surface is regularly baked to 1,000°C, hot enough to turn rock to lava. But deep underground there are networks of tunnels connecting colonies of miners who dig for the precious helium-3 regolith deposits in Alighieri’s crust.
Polis+, the AI race who are humankind’s great galactic rivals, want to claim the fiery planet’s mineral wealth for their own. All that stands between them and this goal is Dev. But as well as Polis+’s agents, there are giant moleworms to contend with, and a spate of mysterious earthquakes, and the perils of the surface where a man can be burned to cinders if he gets caught unprotected on the day side…
The Review: An Interstellar Detective Mystery and an alien fighting an enemy that could be anywhere or anyone.
Let’s start off with the best part of the whole book: The main character is dispatched on missions where he wakes up in cloned bodies. While cloning and mind-transference is nothing new in science fiction, the author combines and cultivates those two concepts and creates something unique.
When Dev is dispatched to a new planet, his consciousness is downloaded into a new body and not just any body, one that is custom designed for the particular environment. In the planet Alighieri’s case, it is a short, squat, thick skinned man, one suited for the heat and high gravity and heat of such a world. That is an idea that seems obvious yet Bookworm has not really encountered before. Usually, its just a straight up clone of the original.
Dev Harmer’s original body (supposedly) no longer exists and if he completes enough missions, he will get a fresh clone body, this time of his original self, permanently.
This adds an existential angle to an otherwise science fiction update of Sam Spade, while not entirely original, is still interesting to contemplate. Dev wonders if he is really still human, when he really is a bunch of ones and zeroes hitching a ride on an interstellar transmission.
Dev Harmer himself is a good character as well. He may not be the most nuanced character in the literary world but he does not need to be. He is tough, sarcastic, able to give and take punches, and inexplicably becomes attached to the female lead. More importantly, he is thoughtful. He thinks things out before acting and has to use his wits and words to get out of tough scrapes.
Some have already made the argument that Dev seems to stumble into his clues and leads but lets be honest: that’s the case with almost every fictional representation of investigative endeavors. CSI, NCIS, World of Fire, if any of those were accurate portrayals, the book would be as long as Game of Thrones.
What is also worthy of mentioning is the setting. A common trope of space opera that might bug some people is how a supposedly alien planet seems to be a perfect fit for humans or whatever species deems to live there. The only difference seemingly the color of the grass. There is nothing particularly wrong with that. It harkens back to the tales of seafarers and the islands they visited while traversing the ocean. It is not, however, indubitable scientific. In this novel though, we are treated to something far more realistic. The planet Alighieri is like Mercury, the surface is uninhabitable so humanity is forced to live underground. This a very realistic prospect for interplanetary colonization, even for as close as Earth’s Moon.
The thermals are not as intense in a few parts of the book though. The hottest of them is the series’ antagonists, the Polis Plus. The author deserves some credit for making the tried and true machine enemy and making them religiously motivated. That goes along with a theme in this book: taking used concepts an adding a unique twist to them. Be that as it may…Bookworm has trouble ‘getting’ the Polis Plus. We could have a big monologue artificial intelligence and the nature of desire but that’s better saved for later. The best of way saying it: is that it is hard to understand the Polis Plus motivations. Yes, they need energy as much as humanity does and they would compete over it but everything else about them, particularly the religious part and the nature of the war. Perhaps that is intent: the Polis Plus are mysterious and its up to Dev Harmer to stop them not understand them.
Then again…it may simply be a case of reading too much into it. This is an uncomplicated book, not simple, uncomplicated. Its a mystery on another planet where the Polis Plus are the bad guys. The philosophical angles may simply be added for a little bit of flavor.
Final Verdict: World of Fire is a flaming start to a hot new series, that Bookworm is eager to continue. The fact that each book in the series is going to be based on a classical element makes only more irresistible in Bookworm’s eyes.
Four Helium-Threes out of Five.
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
January 8, 2018
A typical problem with sci-fi books is long expository passages that take away from the action. World of Fire by James Lovegrove is a refreshing exception. He seamlessly blends the unique setting of Alighieri with action and compelling dialogue. I enjoyed everything about this novel, from the wisecracking protagonist Dev Harmer to the tense action sequences. Highly recommended.
August 21, 2023
There were some interesting things about the world building some not so. The mining industry is the future in space but that star… what I didn’t care were the worm like creatures. The irony isn’t lost on me when I know how many wars humanity has in the name of God.
October 3, 2023
Really enjoyed this even though I wasn't too sure at the start if I would. Dev seems unlikable but grows on you. Fast paced action; I thought the crash of Milady Frog was a little gratuitous, but other than that a great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2014
Original Link to the review at my blog Le' Grande Codex - here
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James Lovegrove's new SF series, I just knew I had to read it. I have read three of his pantheon series sagas - Age of Ra, Age of Zeus and Age of Odin and I loved how the author incorporated Gods of various pantheon into his alternative world stories. Thus, I found 'World of Fire' on Netgalley and requested it without a second glance.
Set in a distant future, the people of Earth have spread out across the stars. Where they came face to face with the AI race called Polis+. A bloody war was waged eventually resulting in an uneasy truce after both sides sustained looses. The war may be over by the time out story begins but the fight is still on an constant tension still reigns supreme.
It is in these times that Interstellar Security Solutions (ISS), the agency that offers contract based services to planets facing terrestrial or extraterrestrial problem that rather rise from Polis+ involvement. Dev Harmer, the troubleshooter from ISS is the protagonist and he is sent to the beaming hot mining planet, Aligheri. Too close to comfort to the Polis+ region of space, this is a Helium 3 mining planet and recently they have been experiencing tremors and Harmer is sent to find out why and if the culprits are Polis+, then do everything to put a stop to it.
Harmer is our wise-cracking hero who rubs the inhabitants of the planet in the wrong way. A war veteran Harmer knows what is going on and while the people of Aligheri don't tolerate him at all, they soon realize that he means business and will achieve said results by hook or by crook. His investigations lead him across this burning hot planet unearthing clues and keys and following leads none thought existed.
Spine-tingling action and dramatically intriguing, Lovegrove serves us a power packed debut for this new series with a well thought out plot, the needed world building and strong characters to make it a memorable reading experience. The ending gives us a glimpse into the next one 'World of Water' and i'm excited to see what it will hold.
"An action-packed new SF series from James Lovegrove"
August 26, 2014
World of Fire is the first book in a science fiction series that follows Dev Harmer as he moves from body to body in order to help the planets that request him for missions. The premise of the story is unique and has the potential for many twists and turns, with Harmer never knowing the planet he will be sent to next. In order for Harmer to travel from planet to planet waking in a new host body every time his consciousness is downloaded into the vat grown bodies. I enjoyed how the body was configured to the planet that Harmer was on. The body’s adaptions reflect the environment it will be used on, so the body used in the hot Algihieri climate has better cooling mechanisms than other bodies. Dev also needs a bit of time in order to adapt to the new body and test its limits. Why would anyone want to spend their days in a body that isn’t their own as well as risking their life daily? One word: freedom. Dev must complete these missions so that he can obtain the freedom he lost. I liked Dev as a character and although he rubbed me the wrong way at times, as well as most of the other characters he interacted with, he began to grow on me. His snarky and witty remarks made me laugh and I think he tries to make his own fun in such a dangerous job. I thought the Polis+ were very interesting and a great antagonist because they are extremely smart and resourceful in addition to being willing to sacrifice themselves to reach their final destination, the Singularity. Even though an unsteady truce was declared between humans and Polis+ after both suffered devastating loses conflict between the two races is still present. Throughout the novel I appreciated the accurate science that was present, which directly showed the amount of work and effort the author put into the novel. Although at times the wording and over explanation of the science distracted me from the story and scenes at hand. Dev’s planetary travels add an unexplored element to the rest of the series, but I will miss the characters that were introduced on this world and hope that the author can someone connect Dev’s adventures and allow him to use each trip as a learning point. I am excited to continue reading about Dev as he continues to solve many problems on different planets.
July 25, 2014
“World of Fire” was published in 2014 (August) and was written by James Lovegrove (http://www.jameslovegrove.com/). Mr. Lovegrove has published over 25 novels and many short stories.
I obtained this novel for free through https://www.netgalley.com for review. This is a Science Fiction novel and I would rate this novel as ‘R’ due to Mature Language and Violence. The story was told first person and is set in a distant future where mankind has spread to distant stars. As they have spread they encountered the Polis+, an AI based race who are humankind’s rivals. A bloody war was fought with the Polis+ and after a particularly costly battle to both sides an uneasy truce was declared. While there is no longer open warfare, along the border with Polis+ space there is constant tension.
The main character of the story is Dev Harmer, an ex-soldier who currently is a troubleshooter for Interstellar Security Solutions (ISS). ISS provides contract services to worlds that have problems, particularly problems that seem to stem from Polis+ activities. He is sent to Alighieri, a planet with an extremely hot surface, at the request of the local government. The planet is very near Polis+ space and is principally a mining colony for helium-3. The underground colony is being threatened by a series of earthquakes. Dev is there to find out what is causing the tremors.
Dev’s investigation leads him across the planet. Dev is not the most likeable character and he quickly rubs many of the Alighieri inhabitants the wrong way. There is a lot of action and intrigue as Dev seeks out the cause of the tremors.
I enjoyed the eight hours I spent reading this first novel of the Dev Harmer series, though I have to say that I did not particularly like the Dev character. His constant wise crack humor irritated me. Other than that the story was interesting. The characters were well developed and the story line was not what I expected. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
Other book reviews I have written can be found at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I obtained this novel for free through https://www.netgalley.com for review. This is a Science Fiction novel and I would rate this novel as ‘R’ due to Mature Language and Violence. The story was told first person and is set in a distant future where mankind has spread to distant stars. As they have spread they encountered the Polis+, an AI based race who are humankind’s rivals. A bloody war was fought with the Polis+ and after a particularly costly battle to both sides an uneasy truce was declared. While there is no longer open warfare, along the border with Polis+ space there is constant tension.
The main character of the story is Dev Harmer, an ex-soldier who currently is a troubleshooter for Interstellar Security Solutions (ISS). ISS provides contract services to worlds that have problems, particularly problems that seem to stem from Polis+ activities. He is sent to Alighieri, a planet with an extremely hot surface, at the request of the local government. The planet is very near Polis+ space and is principally a mining colony for helium-3. The underground colony is being threatened by a series of earthquakes. Dev is there to find out what is causing the tremors.
Dev’s investigation leads him across the planet. Dev is not the most likeable character and he quickly rubs many of the Alighieri inhabitants the wrong way. There is a lot of action and intrigue as Dev seeks out the cause of the tremors.
I enjoyed the eight hours I spent reading this first novel of the Dev Harmer series, though I have to say that I did not particularly like the Dev character. His constant wise crack humor irritated me. Other than that the story was interesting. The characters were well developed and the story line was not what I expected. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.
Other book reviews I have written can be found at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
November 4, 2015
It's an enjoyable detective/intrigue in a space world and an easy read without much to challenge. Great for holiday read or quick binge.
It borrows heavily from the critically acclaimed Altered Carbon by getting an ex-military turned private investigator with unusual methods downloaded into a new body in a strange place to solve a mystery. He is soon faced by a sassy female police authority figure that he rubs up against the wrong way with poorly veiled sexual tension. So very like Altered Carbon, I shan't spoil the ending but yes similarities abound. Sadly it doesn't really explore this subject matter like Altered Carbon does or really offer anything unique.
Another niggle is the enemy of humanity introduced in the prologue is a super intelligent AI race which is also extremely religious. Again without much justification, world building or real basis in AI research. This could be an interesting idea but honestly it feels like just another way to paint religious radicals. It's made worse by the fact the entire of humanity seems to have suddenly given up the concept of faith or religion in all forms which is also presented without exploration or justification. I wouldn't hark on this point but it becomes a plot point and is poorly handled. With false notions like laterally thinking and word puzzles being hard for AI to solve.
Overall I enjoyed the read as a trashy sci-fi read of the sort of fantasy in space. Mostly I'm giving it 3 instead of 4 because of the missed opportunities, lack of meat in the world and the fact I feel like I knew everything about the main character by the end of the book despite this being an ongoing series. Also the author described this as hard sci-fi which it isn't in any shape or form.
A fun book, I shall never revisit.
It borrows heavily from the critically acclaimed Altered Carbon by getting an ex-military turned private investigator with unusual methods downloaded into a new body in a strange place to solve a mystery. He is soon faced by a sassy female police authority figure that he rubs up against the wrong way with poorly veiled sexual tension. So very like Altered Carbon, I shan't spoil the ending but yes similarities abound. Sadly it doesn't really explore this subject matter like Altered Carbon does or really offer anything unique.
Another niggle is the enemy of humanity introduced in the prologue is a super intelligent AI race which is also extremely religious. Again without much justification, world building or real basis in AI research. This could be an interesting idea but honestly it feels like just another way to paint religious radicals. It's made worse by the fact the entire of humanity seems to have suddenly given up the concept of faith or religion in all forms which is also presented without exploration or justification. I wouldn't hark on this point but it becomes a plot point and is poorly handled. With false notions like laterally thinking and word puzzles being hard for AI to solve.
Overall I enjoyed the read as a trashy sci-fi read of the sort of fantasy in space. Mostly I'm giving it 3 instead of 4 because of the missed opportunities, lack of meat in the world and the fact I feel like I knew everything about the main character by the end of the book despite this being an ongoing series. Also the author described this as hard sci-fi which it isn't in any shape or form.
A fun book, I shall never revisit.
February 2, 2021
This is the first of a new Sci-fi series by James Lovegrove. It follows the trials of Interstellar Security Solutions agent Dev Harmer who is transported into a temporary body so that he can investigate the recent spate of earthquakes on a remote, colonised border world of Alighieri. Owing to the excessive surface temperatures the entire colony is located in caves and tunnels. The purpose of the colony is the mining of helium 3, and this makes it a tempting target for the mankind’s enemy the AI race Polis+. The recent war between the two races has ended in an uneasy peace but out on the border vigilance is still required.
Dev finds himself in the midst of clever Polis+ plot to force the population of Alighieri to leave by generating earthquakes and making the whole planet unsafe. As soon as he arrives he finds himself the target of assassination attempts and must fend these off and try to work with locals to find the cause of the earthquakes and to find a solution.
Can he do so before the governor is forced to call for a mass evacuation? This is another good outing from Lovegrove equally as good as the early instalments of the Age of … series. A thoroughly good read with plenty of action and tension that moves along at a good pace.
Dev finds himself in the midst of clever Polis+ plot to force the population of Alighieri to leave by generating earthquakes and making the whole planet unsafe. As soon as he arrives he finds himself the target of assassination attempts and must fend these off and try to work with locals to find the cause of the earthquakes and to find a solution.
Can he do so before the governor is forced to call for a mass evacuation? This is another good outing from Lovegrove equally as good as the early instalments of the Age of … series. A thoroughly good read with plenty of action and tension that moves along at a good pace.
July 28, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. The idea of a series that follows one man from planet to planet as he faces a variety of challenges in order to earn his freedom is intriguing.
The author is able to make Dev delightfully annoying, but not too much so, if you know what I mean. The world he inhabits is fascinating and well-drawn. We learn a lot about him during the story, but not so much that we don't look forward to learning more. The other characters are a little less fully explored, but as they won't be appearing in the next book, that is understandable.
There were some grammar issues, but they didn't make the book unreadable. Fot example, sometimes the villains were referred to as the Polis+ and sometimes as the Polis Plus. Maybe some readers wouldn't notice but things like that bother me.
Despite that, I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy adventure-based sci-fi.
I was give a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.
The author is able to make Dev delightfully annoying, but not too much so, if you know what I mean. The world he inhabits is fascinating and well-drawn. We learn a lot about him during the story, but not so much that we don't look forward to learning more. The other characters are a little less fully explored, but as they won't be appearing in the next book, that is understandable.
There were some grammar issues, but they didn't make the book unreadable. Fot example, sometimes the villains were referred to as the Polis+ and sometimes as the Polis Plus. Maybe some readers wouldn't notice but things like that bother me.
Despite that, I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy adventure-based sci-fi.
I was give a copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2016
A fast paced adventure with a digital villan. Set on a world where everyone lives and works underground because the surface is too hot, the local animal population who dig through the sub surface are causing earthquakes. And it appears they are in fact attacking the cities of the resident population.
Digitally loaded into a vat grown body ISS agent Dev Harmer must find out who is behind all the mayhem, and more importantly stop them.
From the moment he is digital installed in the new body he is under attack and it doesn't end until the dramatic end of the story.
Looking forward to the next book in the series
Digitally loaded into a vat grown body ISS agent Dev Harmer must find out who is behind all the mayhem, and more importantly stop them.
From the moment he is digital installed in the new body he is under attack and it doesn't end until the dramatic end of the story.
Looking forward to the next book in the series
April 4, 2015
This book and potential series is the result of a really great idea, an agent who can stream around space as a digitised consciousness... sounds cool...it is a pity that the lead character then is drawn with all the depth of a USB stick! He is not at all someone who engages the reader... perhaps he will get a tad more likeable over the ensuing stories...I hope so because the potential for an outstanding series is right there...
January 28, 2015
This book was okay. The thing I didn't like was how predictable it was. Everything that comes up is introduced a few pages before. Oh, these insects are eaten by these insects -- cue insects. They hate the smell of this-- cue smell.
There was one good part when someone dies-- but even that someone isn't very important.
It seemed well written but also drawn out.
Meh.
There was one good part when someone dies-- but even that someone isn't very important.
It seemed well written but also drawn out.
Meh.
January 29, 2016
Well, this was very different than Lovegrove's God Punk books, but still a right good yarn. Interesting characters, intriguing set up, a little alien intrigue, a little romance, a lot of action. Good formula, well executed. Really needs 3 1/2 stars, but I'm feeling generous, so four.
November 25, 2014
Overall this book has an amazing storyline. Dev was hilarious and never skipped a beat. Kahlo was beautiful and Dev appropriate. The writing was as always great!! CANNOT wait for World of Water!
November 16, 2014
First line of the book ;"in the century after it cast of all religion, humankind flourished and prospered...."
What a great way to start a book! I love James Lovegrove !
What a great way to start a book! I love James Lovegrove !
December 21, 2015
This novel started out great and you're amused with the protagonist's tone but it soon gets tiresome.
Halfway through the novel, the plot changes to become silly SF!
Halfway through the novel, the plot changes to become silly SF!
December 23, 2021
World of Air- lets make it happen!
October 5, 2014
A good read. I like the plot-line but could of used more dimension.
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